Category: General

• Batteries bound for U.S. Rivian R2 models will come from Arizona
• LG will supply Rivian with 67 gigawatt-hours over five years
• 4695 format is set to be shared with R3, R3X

Next-generation cylindrical battery cells for the Rivian R2 SUV will come from LG Energy Solution and its Arizona plant, the battery supplier and U.S. EV maker confirmed Thursday. 

The agreement, LG says, will span five years and total 67 gigawatt-hours in total energy capacity and power R2 models for the North American market. Although LG didn’t note a starting date for supply, the R2 is due to go on sale in 2026.

The Rivian R2-bound cells, at 46 mm in diameter and 95 mm in length, mirror the size that BMW has also committed to. They stand dimensionally different versus Tesla’s 4680 cell format (46 mm x 80 mm), which reportedly carries with it some additional production challenges, the 2170 format (21 mm x 70 mm) used in the Rivian R1 lineup and the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, among others, or Tesla’s original 18650 format (18 mm x 65 mm).

LG noted that the new size enables higher energy density, improved space efficiency, and enhanced safety. 

BMW cylindrical battery cells

Rivian confirmed to Green Car Reports that the agreement is specifically for high-nickel cells, which generally refers to NCA or NCM lithium-ion chemistries and not the lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) cells that are becoming more popular in cost-conscious base EV models—like versions of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and in the upcoming next-generation Chevy Bolt EV. 

The $45,000 Rivian R2 will be the first true mass-market EV from the U.S. electric vehicle maker, and it could be the model that makes the fledgling company financially sustainable. It’s initially set to be built in Normal, Illinois, alongside the R1T pickup, R1S SUV, and EDV (van) models. 

Once production is underway, some R2 production may be shifted to a future Georgia plant that would start making vehicles in 2027—eventually including the compact Rivian R3 family, with its hot-hatch, rally-tinged R3X counterpart. 

Rivian R3X

Cells a structural core for Rivian’s future EVs

As Rivian confirmed earlier this year with their reveal, the R2, R3, and R3X are all set to be built around the same next-generation architecture, focused around a structural battery pack with these 4695-format cylindrical cells. 

Rivian confirmed to GCR that LG does not have explicit exclusivity as the cell supplier for the R2 lineup. The 67 gigawatt-hours calculates out to about 700,000 vehicles split over five years, assuming nearly 100 kwh per vehicle. So it’s unclear from this initial plan whether R3 and R3X might see some of these cells, too, in the interest of flexibility, or to what degree those somewhat-more-affordable LFP cells might enter the mix.

Rivian R2

LG noted that “within the first year of production” batteries for the R2 will be made at the standalone plant in Arizona. 

“This large-scale order from Rivian for 4695 batteries marks a key milestone for LG Energy Solution in expanding its client base within the cylindrical battery segment,” David Kim, the battery firm’s CEO, said in its release on the agreement. 

Rivian and LG noting IRA impact

Made just two days after the U.S. Presidential election, the LG announcement mentioned the positive impact of Biden administration EV policy and its Inflation Reduction Act in leading to the Arizona manufacturing push.

“The supply agreement with Rivian is expected to further strengthen LG Energy Solution’s presence in the U.S. market and its plans to actively respond to the IRA by developing and supplying competitive battery cells in a timely manner while expanding into new markets,” stated the battery supplier.

Rivian R3X

The EV maker further pointed to the U.S. sourcing as “aligning with Rivian’s focus on U.S. domestic manufacturing and IRA compliance.”

Rivian reported some additional good news on Thursday. It produced 13,157 vehicles and delivered 10,018 in the third quarter of 2024. Although production has been held back by a component for its Enduro motor unit shared between its R1 models and its van platform, it confirmed that it’s on track for its 2024 delivery outlook of 50,500 to 52,000 vehicles. 

• Bentley’s pushed its timeline to go all electric back five years to 2035
• The automaker’s first EV will arrive in 2027 and be an SUV
• Bentley will keep PHEVs in its lineup until 2035, and BEVs will remain separate products

Bentley is once again reshuffling its electrification plans, but it still expects to have an all-electric lineup by 2035, the automaker announced Thursday.

In January 2022, Bentley announced plans to introduce five electric vehicles over five years starting in 2025, leading to an all-EV lineup by 2030. The launch of that first EV was later pushed back to 2026, a timeline that’s still in effect, Bentley CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser said in a media briefing, with a market launch in 2027 and prototypes currently undergoing testing.

That first all-electric model will be a “luxury urban SUV” that won’t replace any of Bentley’s existing models, Walliser said, adding that it will be “compact for a Bentley” at about 196 inches long. That’s 5.8 inches shorter than the current Bentley Bentayga SUV. Future Bentley EVs also won’t share platforms with its all-combustion or plug-in hybrid models due to packaging disadvantages, Matthias Rabe, head of research and development at Bentley, said.

2024 Bentley Bentayga Apex Edition

“Charging speeds will be incredibly good, and range will be sufficient,” Walliser said, explaining that total travel time is what Bentley is focused on, and that this can be kept reasonable through a combination of fast charging and range. Those comments were echoed by Rabbe, who added that engineers are looking for a replacement for the exhaust noises of internal-combustion Bentleys.

“We don’t just want to copy something, and we don’t just want to make something which is only synthetic,” Rabbe said, promising a new approach to sound that isn’t currently used by any other EV maker.

Along with its first EV, Bentley plans to introduce a new plug-in hybrid or all-electric model every year before switching to selling only electric cars in 2035. Walliser confirmed that plug-in hybrids will stay in the lineup until that point, helping to reconcile what he sees as weak demand in the luxury market for EVs with the emissions regulations anticipated to require more of them.

Bentley Continental GT Speed in Tourmaline Green

“Legislation is driving electrification,” along with competition from other automakers, Walliser said, but added that on the other hand “there’s not a lot of demand” for EVs among current Bentley customers. But the Bentley CEO sees demand on new customers looking for a “more modern interpretation of a Bentley” and believes existing customers can be won over once they drive an EV.

Bentley currently offers plug-in hybrid versions of every model, but it’s unclear if the automaker will stick with a plan announced in 2020 to eliminate standalone combustion powertrains. There is at least one more non-hybrid version of the Bentayga planned, Rabbe said. Bentley will also continue to produce plug-in hybrids as long as there is demand, he said, meaning the 2035 deadline for their elimination could be flexible.

Walliser said in a recent interview that anticipated battery-technology developments and growth of charging infrastructure will create better conditions for EVs around 2035. Given that this aligns with Bentley’s current EV plans, there’s perhaps a better chance that those plans will actually come to fruition—giving Bentley the all-electric lineup it’s been discussing, on and off, for a decade.

• A three-row electric AMG-badged Mercedes-Benz SUV is in the works
• The EV will ride on a new AMG.EA dedicated EV platform
• Prototypes are expected to start road testing this winter

Mercedes-Benz’s AMG performance division is working on an all-electric full-size SUV that will be distinct from anything sold by the main Mercedes brand.

AMG has produced a sportier version of the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, but on Thursday it announced a larger standalone model based on its own AMG.EA dedicated EV platform. A teaser sketch released as part of the announcement shows a fairly sleek silhouette by big SUV standards, with a steeply raked rear roof pillar and low roof line.

AMG has launched standalone models before, including the current GT coupe (in both two- and four-door forms), the SL roadster, and the SLS AMG sports car prior to that. But this will be the first SUV designed as an AMG model from the ground up, a response to the currently popularity of SUVs, AMG boss Michael Schiebe said.

2025 Mercedes-Benz AMG E 53 Hybrid

Technical details are yet to be confirmed, but the SUV could make use of axial-flux motors from British firm Yasa, which Mercedes acquired in 2021. The automaker also has a stake in U.S. solid-state battery developer Factorial, which in September said it was working on battery cells for Mercedes that could boost range by 80%. That could be helpful in a large, powerful SUV like this, where efficiency gains will otherwise be difficult to achieve.

AMG’s electric SUV will compete against a similar-sized three-row electric SUV from Porsche expected to arrive in 2027. It also won’t be the first bespoke SUV from a performance sub-brand. The BMW XM plug-in hybrid arrived in 2022 as the first dedicated model from BMW M since the M1 supercar of the 1970s. Reports indicate it may depart by 2028, however.

Prototype for first EV fully developed by Mercedes-Benz AMG

The first prototypes of the AMG electric SUV are scheduled to start testing on public roads this winter. Mercedes did not mention launch timing, but the SUV will be the second model based on the AMG.EA platform, following a fastback sedan due next year that may replace the current AMG GT 4-Door Coupe.

A report earlier this year suggested AMG was also mulling an electric supercar based on the Vision One-Eleven concept unveiled in 2023. And it will continue developing performance versions of models from the main Mercedes brand, including the upcoming CLA-Class compact sedan.

Kia on Tuesday unveiled an off-road concept version of its EV9 electric SUV at the 2024 SEMA show in Las Vegas.

The Kia EV9 ADVNTR adds typical off-road accoutrements to the three-row SUV, including a 3-inch suspension lift, new wheels and tires, light bars, and a roof rack. Kia isn’t discussing production possibilities, but the concept could serve as inspiration for the aftermarket industry that is SEMA’s primary audience.

Kia EV9 ADVNTR concept

No changes to the powertrain were discussed, but given its off-road mission, the ADVNTR likely features the optional dual-motor setup rated at 379 hp and 443 lb-ft in most grades. The concept’s chunky tires likely degrade EPA range from the 280 miles achieved by most all-wheel drive EV9 models.

The EV9 arrived for the 2024 model year as the second Kia EV based on the E-GMP platform shared with Hyundai and Genesis. We were so impressed that we named it Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2024.

Kia EV9 ADVNTR concept

The 2025 Kia EV9 enters its second model year essentially unchanged, with a $700 price increase for the Light Long Range model. That’s the base single-motor trim level with the larger 99.8-kwh battery pack that’s standard on other EV9 models. It also happens to have the most EPA range, at 304 miles. The 2025 models are already subject to a recall to address a software issue that could cause digital gauge cluster to fail.

Kia also debuted an electric van concept called the PV5 WKNDR at the 2024 SEMA show. This is a more rugged version of the PV5 van concept Kia unveiled at CES 2024, designed for weekend adventures. The PV5 is one of several Platform Beyond Vehicles (PBVs) based on a modular design that Kia is expected to start producing in 2025, primarily for commercial use.

• The Volvo EX30’s U.S. arrival was delayed due to tariffs
• Volvo’s now said the EX30 will arrive before the end of the year
• The first EX30s to arrive in the U.S. will be $46,195 dual-motor models

After being delayed in the wake of increased tariffs, the Volvo EX30 small electric crossover will reach the U.S. by the end of this year.

First shown in 2023, the EX30 was originally scheduled to arrive at U.S. dealerships this past summer. But in June Volvo said it would push back deliveries until 2025. On Tuesday, the automaker reversed course, announcing that it would “start fulfilling U.S. customer preorders” in order to “satisfy demand as quickly as possible.”

2025 Volvo EX30 electric SUV (single-motor, Cloud Blue)

Deliveries will start with the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version because it’s the most requested model, according to Volvo. Prices for dual-motor models still start at $46,195 with the $1,295 destination charge. The single-motor version, which Volvo previously said would start at $36,245 in U.S. form, will arrive later in 2025.

All U.S. models will have a 69-kwh nickel cobalt manganese (NMC) battery pack, which Volvo now expects to return 253 miles of range in dual-motor models on the EPA testing cycle. A 51-kwh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack will be offered in other markets as an entry-level option, with lower lifecycle emissions than the NMC pack, but the EX30 will still be among the lowest-priced EVs in the U.S. even with the NMC pack.

2025 Volvo EX30 electric SUV (single-motor, Cloud Blue)

Volvo in 2023 committed to moving EX30 production from China to Ghent, Belgium, starting in 2025. But sourcing cars from China became unfeasible after May 2024, when the Biden Administration hiked tariffs on Chinese-made EVs from 25% to 100%. Volvo then delayed the U.S. launch of the EX30 to 2025 to give time for the Belgian plant to ramp up.

Meanwhile, the Volvo EX90 three-row electric SUV that sits at the opposite end of the price spectrum is now being assembled at the automaker’s Charleston, South Carolina, factory alongside the Polestar 3 from that brand. Volvo has not discussed plans to build the EX30 in South Carolina, however.

A new generation of the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class compact sedan arrives next year, with an all-electric variant as part of the lineup.

Mercedes first showed a camouflaged prototype of the CLA-Class EV in October, and on Wednesday it released a further tease in the form of a video of CEO Ola Källenius driving one of the prototypes.

Teaser for 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Underneath the camouflage, expect the CLA-Class EV to have styling based on the Concept CLA-Class unveiled at the 2023 Munich auto show. That concept also showed off the engineering of the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) that will be the basis for the CLA EV and other next-generation compact Mercedes models.

MMA will incorporate an 800-volt electrical architecture, which Mercedes said allowed for DC fast charging that could recover up to 248 miles of range in 15 minutes in the Concept CLA-Class, and is designed around smaller battery packs. Range will be achieved more through efficiency than pack size, incorporating lessons learned from the Vision EQXX concept, which traveled a record 746 miles on a single charge in 2022. 

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The CLA EV will be unveiled in 2025, meaning it will likely reach the U.S. as a 2026 model. In the teaser, Källenius confirmed that a high-performance AMG version is in development alongside the standard CLA-Class. And a hybrid powertrain option is expected to be offered alongside the all-electric ones.

In addition to the CLA-Class, which is expected to retain the “four-door coupe” shape of the current car and the Concept CLA-Class, Mercedes is expected to introduce a range of small cars based on the MMA underpinnings, including a crossover that could serve as a Tesla Model Y rival.

California is considering an electric-motorcycle mandate that could lead to a much stronger motorcycle market in the state.

The proposed rules, which the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the powerful regulator that sets the state’s emissions standards, is set to vote on Nov. 7, could lead to annual electric motorcycle sales that are eight times the number registered in the state today, CalMatters reports.

They would impose a credit system leading to 10% zero-emission motorcycle sales in 2028 and 50% in 2035, up from about 1% today.

At the same time, new emissions targets for gasoline bikes would lower their emissions for the first time in 25 years, potentially bringing them closer to the small cars and hybrids they currently lag behind in general gasoline efficiency.

BMW Motorrad Vision DC electric motorcycle concept

Zero-emission vehicle mandates are nothing new in California; the state is on track eliminate sales of most new vehicles with combustion engines by 2035. But this electric-motorcycle mandate is also predicted to lead to a gradual increase in overall sales.

Under the proposed rules, more than 280,000 new electric or hydrogen motorcycles are expected to be sold in California by 2045.

Motorcycles make up less than 1% of all vehicle miles traveled in California, but contribute an “outsized portion of smog-forming pollutants,” CARB officials told CalMatters. Indeed, internal-combustion motorcycles have long been noted as potentially more polluting than cars, as they can more easily be missing emissions gear completely.

Honda EV Fun concept

Harley-Davidson got in trouble for emissions-gear cheating a decade ago, directly selling its customers “defeat devices.” But it has seen the light on electric, and established motorcycle makers like Honda and BMW will join upstarts in convincing a new generation to ride electric.

Should this plan pass, one question mark is whether so-called “autocycles” with three wheels—like the one from California-based Aptera—will be included in the sales targets.

• Kia unveiled an electric camper van at SEMA
• Based on the PV5, the WKNDR previews the potential for a recreational EV
• Production of the PV5 and its variants is slated for 2025

The annual SEMA show in Las Vegas is typically a showcase for modified production vehicles and aftermarket parts, but this year Kia brought an adventure-ready electric concept vehicle.

The Kia PV5 WKNDR concept is an electric van derived from the Kia PV5, one of a series of Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) concepts Kia unveiled at CES earlier this year. These concepts previewed a line of flexible electric vans for commercial use, but the PV5 WKNDR is aimed at recreation.

Kia PV5 WKNDR concept

A winch-equipped front bumper, chunky tires under flared fenders, and a pop-up camper attachment ready this van for off-grid trips, while built-in solar panels help ensure a level of self-sufficiency once there. An onboard air compressor can also be used to both deflate the tires for off-roading, or inflate an air mattress.

When parked, a modular storage system allows supplies and equipment to be securely stored outside, freeing up more interior space, while still offering easy access, according to Kia. This also includes a mobile kitchen assembly for cooking at a campsite.

Kia PV5 WKNDR concept

As detailed by Kia at CES earlier this year, the PV5 and other PBV concepts differ significantly from current EVs. There’s been no mention of skateboard platform, but instead interchangeable upper bodies, secured to the chassis via magnetic couplings, that allow the same vehicle to serve different roles. One van could switch from a taxi during the day, to a delivery van at night, to a recreation vehicle like the WKNDR on, well, weekends.

Kia has set up a dedicated factory for its PBV business in South Korea that’s due to start production in 2025 with a targeted annual capacity of 150,000 units, and camouflaged prototypes of the PV5 electric van have been spotted testing. Kia views these electric vans as key products for its future EV push, and may use them as the basis for robotaxis should autonomous-driving tech ever reach maturity.

Honda is looking to expand a battery-swapping service from Asia to Europe, but the focus will remain on two-wheeled vehicles like mopeds and scooters.

The automaker currently offers battery-swapping in Japan, India, Indonesia, and Thailand, but in a Tuesday press release said it’s now working with Swedish scooter rental startup GoCimo on testing of the concept in Malmö, Sweden, for one year beginning in February 2025.

Honda battery swapping

The test program, which will utilize Honda EM1 scooters already sold in Europe, will look at the suitability of battery swapping for the European urban environment, as well as business feasibility, the release said.

Instead of entire battery packs for cars and trucks, as with other battery-swapping services, Honda focuses on smaller modules. The Honda Mobile Power Pack modules are about 1.5 kwh each, which should be adequate for scooters or perhaps for very small urban EVs if used in multiple. That makes each unit much more powerful than what’s used by the trendy Motocompacto the automaker aimed to ship out with some 2024 Honda Prologue EVs in the U.S.

Honda battery swapping

These modules are charged on a rack, and users simply check them out as needed. This allows urban residents to get by without home charging, may also be a particularly good solution in European cities, where parking and space constraints limit streetside charging options. To find out, Honda will supply 30 EM1 scooters, 60 Mobile Power Pack batteries, and three Power Pack Exchanger swap stations to GoCimo for the test program in Sweden’s third-largest city.

Honda has shown swappable-battery systems, essentially the same as this system, since CES 2018, and suggested it may be headed to some motorcycles, as part of a swappable-battery consortium with Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha. It’s since said—last year, most recently—that the Mobile Power Pack format will be used in “various electric products.”

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election reaches its conclusion, politics may be playing less of a role in EV interest, data from research firm AutoPacific shows.

AutoPacific’s EV Consumer Insights Study from June 2024—when election rhetoric was already charged—surveyed 12,000 Americans, including a mix of electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid owners, non-owners with interest in EVs, and those who totally reject EVs.

In line with previous studies, owners of these vehicles tended to be more left-leaning, with 54% of current EV owners and 60% of current plug-in hybrid owners identifying as Democrats compared to 30% of EV owners and 26% of plug-in hybrid owners identifying as Republicans. The gap shrinks for “acceptors” who either intend to get or will consider an EV in the future, at 46% Democrat, 28% Republican, and 24% Independent or third party.

Reasons for not wanting an EV (from AutoPacific 2024 EV Consumer Insights Study)

However, Americans generally aren’t rejecting EVs for political reasons, according to AutoPacific. Just 8% of respondents said they would not consider an EV because “EVs are not aligned with my political beliefs”—down from 10% the previous year. Of that group, 62% identified as Republicans and 13% identified as Democrats.

Political beliefs were ranked last among 27 options for not considering an EV. The top concerns were belief that charging times were too long (52%), that respondents did not have a place to charge at home or at work (51%), and concern that EVs are too expensive to buy and/or operate (49%).

Such results should be a relief to auto industry CEOs. The push to make EVs political has surprised General Motors CEO Mary Barra and saddened Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, the two executives said earlier this year.

2025 Cadillac Lyriq

Republicans, on the other hand, might want to consider that anti-EV rhetoric puts them on the losing side of this issue. Donald Trump has suggested that he plans to gut EV policy, while relying on tariffs to increase the portion of goods—including vehicles—made in America.

Yet a 2022 poll conducted by a leading EV advocacy group found that such a divide between Republicans and Democrats is disconnected from reality, with bipartisan support for EV-friendly policy.

It’s left many Republicans puzzled about when the tide turned against EVs as representing energy independence and why politicians are detached from their constituencies, in this case—even when top Republicans have now become closely aligned with Tesla CEO Elon Musk.